Melanie Griffith Erases Antonio Banderas From Her Heart, Tattoo Now Empty Following Split

Melanie Griffith erases Antonio's name from her tattooCredit: Venturelli/Getty Images

Arrivederci Antonio! Newly single Melanie Griffith made a bold statement at Italy's Taormina Film Festival on Tuesday, June 17—covering up her husband Antonio Banderas' name on her famous heart tattoo.

A week and a half after announcing she and husband Banderas were separating, the 56-year-old Oscar nominee attended the film festival awards ceremony with buddy Eva Longoria. And while the actress looked stunning in a skimpy, leopard print dress, it was her altered tattoo that caught most eyes as she walked the red carpet.

The trademark tattoo, which Griffith first showed off in 1998, had a blurred, flesh-colored patch where the name "Antonio" used to appear, leaving the heart conspicuously empty. It appeared that makeup had been used to almost entirely cover the old letters.

The last time Griffith’s tattoo had been seen intact was on Thursday, June 5, when she attended Jane Fonda's American Film Institute Lifetime Achievement Award dinner in L.A. It was the day before Griffith and Banderas, 53, made their official statement to Us Weekly that they were planning to end their relationship.

The following day, the couple announced, "We have thoughtfully and consensually decided to finalize our almost 20-year marriage in a loving and friendly manner honoring and respecting each other, our family, and friends and the beautiful time we have spent together."

But despite the glaring gap in her tattoo, Griffith appeared in good spirits as she joked and laughed with friend Longoria at the Italian festival.

"There was no cheating on either side. They had fallen out of love awhile ago," a source told Us previously. "Their daughter Stella is about to be 18 in September and they wanted to wait until [the] kids were grown and out of the house before they split up, but knew they would awhile ago. They stayed together for the sake of the kids."